For the Jews, the tabernacle was the holy tent in which God dwelt among his people. The word comes from the Latin taberna (tavern) hut, with a diminutive particle -ulum, a carrying tent for soldiers. In Hebrew, it is called mishkan, which means dwelling place or abode. It was a portable sanctuary, taken along on the journey through the desert. Moses was instructed by God himself to build it, according to precise guidelines. Inside was the ark of the covenant, containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments.
The tabernacle was the centre of worship, prayer and encounter with God, the tent of meeting. Priests performed rituals there, and the people gathered around this place. The cloud above the tent showed God's presence during the day, fire at night.
It was a sign of closeness and holiness: God was among them, but also exalted. Later, the temple in Jerusalem became the permanent place of that same worship. But the tabernacle remained a symbol of God's journey with his people, in freedom and trust.
At the Last Supper, the New Covenant was established. The shape of the tent was then adopted into Christianity, under the Latin name taberna, which means hut or tavern. The diminutive particle -ulum gives the meaning of a portable tent for soldiers.
The word sacrament consists of two parts: the Latin sacer and the Greek μυστήριον (mystèrion). <br>Sacer comes from Latin. Interestingly, the meaning has changed over time. For the empire, it meant “terrible”, “horrible”, “bad” or “cursed”, and also “intended as an offering to the gods”. The latter meaning, “intended for the gods”, remained and was later associated with “holy”.
The Greek μυστήριον can be traced back to the root mu, as in muein, which means “to close”, for example, closing the eyes or mouth. Think also of the English “mute”. It therefore refers to something that is secret, something that cannot be understood by the mind.
According to the Tridentine definition, a sacrament is a sign given by an authorised person: a gesture, together with a word, through which God manifests himself visibly and effectively. The Catholic Church recognises seven sacraments: baptism, the Eucharist, confirmation, confession, marriage, ordination and anointing of the sick.
The Eucharist refers directly to and commemorates the Last Supper. Jesus said at that time: ‘Do this in memory of me.’ It is the mystery of the Sacrifice. The Church teaches that God is truly present in the form of bread and wine. He remains present among us as the risen and glorified Lord, speaking and acting, living with the faithful until the end of time. As it says in the Gospel of Matthew: ‘I am with you always, until the end of the age.’
Thomas Aquinas poetically describes this real presence in the Tantum Ergo:
Tantum ergo Sacramentum veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui.
Genitori, Genitoque laus et iubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque sit et benedictio:
procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio.
Amen.
Let us humbly honour this sacrament,
whereby the old laws give way to the new testament.
Faith surpasses what the senses cannot perceive.
Praise and jubilation, salvation, honour and virtue
to the Father and the Son.
Let us honour the Father and He who proceeds from the Father
in the same way.
Amen.
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